This invention relates to a machine for filling packaging containers with a flowable product. The product is preferably a mixture of at least two flowable components. Only two components will be mentioned hereinafter for the sake of clarity. The product may consist of a first component in the form of a particulate solid material suspended in a viscous liquid (hereinafter: solids), and a second component in the form of a thin liquid, e.g. water (hereinafter: liquid), each component being supplied from a separate source. Naturally both the components could be liquids but the terms "solids" and "liquid" will be used for simplicity of description. Examples, among foodstuffs, of products suitable for packaging according to the invention include heterogeneous petfood products and soups containing solid matter such as pieces of vegetables.
The invention is very suitable for aseptic filling processes, using containers of synthetic plastics, rigid, semi-rigid or flexible.
The aim of the invention is to avoid or at least to mitigate the disadvantages of known filling machines, some of which will be mentioned hereinafter.